community in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Big Foot Prairie, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in fall (63rd percentile) and lowest in spring (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Big Foot Prairie?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Foot Prairie, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Soybeans: about 7,147 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 10,842 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Big Foot Prairie
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Big Foot Prairie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 23rd | 95th | 27th |
| Illinois | 40th | 35th | 50th | 63rd |
| Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains | 97th | 12th | 97th | 3rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Big Foot Prairie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Walworth 2 mi · Fontana-on-Geneva Lake 4 mi · Williams Bay 6 mi · Sharon 7 mi · Delavan Lake 7 mi · Darien 9 mi
All towns in Wisconsin · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Big Foot Prairie (42.4955, -88.6017); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.